Your competition is building on top of foundational software, called platforms.
How do platforms work?
Basic
Platforms allow you to produce more work per employee. They help you level the playing field with big businesses and reduce your operating costs.
Intermediate
Platforms create digital versions of departments in your business. These digital versions make the best industry practices accessible to your employees.
Advanced
Platforms enable the digitalization of your business. They create access points for other technology to integrate, measure, and automate your business.
Why were platforms invented?
In the 1950s, IBM and others realized that most businesses workloads could be done by a computer if they were standardized. They made computers that still run our governments and the largest enterprises in the world.
Platforms, Today
Today, enterprise business platforms are as accessible as email. Any business can afford software, implement best practices and scale their operations.
Popular business platforms include:
Customer Relationship Management
Enterprise Resource Planning
E-Commerce (B2B & B2C)
Platforms, a bit more in-depth
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Customer Relationship Management
Technology companies and large enterprises were the first to implement CRM solutions, demonstrating significant improvements in customer engagement and sales effectiveness. Their success catalyzed widespread adoption across industries.
CRM systems evolved from simple contact management tools to sophisticated AI-powered platforms.
The technology is experiencing rapid mainstream adoption. Research indicates that over 70% of businesses have implemented or plan to implement CRM solutions within the next year.
Organizations delaying CRM adoption face:
- Declining customer satisfaction
- Reduced sales effectiveness
- Inefficient marketing spend
- Loss of market share
- Limited growth potential
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Enterprise Resource Planning
Manufacturing and distribution companies led the adoption of powered ERP solutions, demonstrating significant improvements in operational efficiency and cost reduction. Their success drove adoption across industries.
ERP systems evolved from material requirements planning (MRP) systems to comprehensive enterprise management platforms.
The technology is experiencing widespread adoption across organizations of all sizes. Research indicates that over 65% of mid to large-sized businesses have implemented or plan to implement in the next year.
Organizations postponing ERP adoption face:
- Operational inefficiencies
- Higher operational costs
- Limited visibility into business performance
- Competitive disadvantage
- Compliance risks
- Scalability challenges
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E-Commerce Portals
Manufacturing and distribution companies led the adoption of B2B e-commerce platforms, demonstrating significant improvements in sales efficiency and cost reduction. Their success drove adoption across industries.
B2B e-commerce evolved from basic online catalogs to sophisticated platforms, integrated with ERPs and CRMs.
Modern B2B e-commerce platforms transform how businesses sell to other businesses by streamlining sales operations while providing sophisticated tools for pricing, ordering, and customer management.
Organizations postponing B2B e-commerce adoption face:
- Loss of market share
- Higher operational costs
- Limited growth potential
- Customer attrition
- Competitive disadvantage
- Reduced operational efficiency